Contributors

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Our Favorite 2 Player Games

In honor of Valentine's Day, we decided to share with you our favorite 2 player games. Also, if you want to learn more about any of the games we mention, just click their names and check their BoardGameGeek pages out!

Happy Valentine's Day!

10.

Amber: Twilight Struggle:Only played this a few times, because it can take a few hours, so we leave it out on the kitchen table and play over 2-3 days. I like reading the cards and learning about the cold war's history.

Shannon: The Rivals For Catan: This is a newer game to me, but I still enjoyed it enough to put it on my list. Unfortunately, I have four other 2 player games on my shelves to learn, so this one might get pushed off the list soon.

9.

Amber: Onirim: This is a newer game for me. I like the dreaming/sleepy theme and the art on the cards. But over all, I like that you never know if you will win or lose, but if you do lose it's easy to reset and go again!Shannon: Mr. Jack Pocket: The card and token manipulation in this game makes it very strategic and very challenging.

8.

Amber: Mancala: This used to be a favorite of mine because I could win pretty easy, but since playing with my 10 year old, she has gotten better and my winning rate is down. Also we end up pulling different games, so it has fallen down on the list.

Shannon: Mr. Jack: Mr. Jack is a fun game. I enjoy the roll of figuring out who Jack is a little better than actually being Jack.

7.

Amber: Dragonheart: I fell in love with this one on boardgamearena.com on nights Shannon and I would hop on to play if someone was sick or our husbands were playing video games. I like that it is a few steps up from like rock, paper, scissors, because it has more choices. It is also one I like that sometimes you have to make tough decisions of when to play a card like the trolls or archer or a high point card.

Shannon: Jaipur: This game has been in my collection longer than the other games on this list. It was one of my first purely two player games, and it's still one of my favorites.

6.

Amber: Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small: I tend to either really like or dislike worker placement games. I like this one because the other person may block you but 80% of the time there is still another good and open place I can go. Though I don't get to play this one much because Shannon's two girls are the only ones that will play with me.

Shannon: Niya: This abstract game makes me think a little of connect four as you are placing your tokens down to make a row of four or a 2x2 square. It's fun and the artwork is beautiful.

5.

Amber: 7 Wonders Duel: My husband loves the original, so having a 2 player version is nice. I like that certain parts, like the science and military, are more balanced too.

Shannon: Star Realms: My favorite deck building two player game. I also love how small the box is, so it's really easy to take with you.

4.

Amber: The Rivals For Catan: I like watching my city grow. I like the idea of not having to choose a location to start and hoping you get a good placement like in the original. Plus, I lhave the deluxe version so I love the trays and promo cards.

Shannon: Onirim: Onirim is my most recent addition to this list. I've had it on my wishlist forever and finally got it last month. I have already played this one many times and I love it. It's simple to learn, but challenging to play.

3.

Amber: Star Realms: I love this deck builder! I like the theme of ships and bases. This one gets pulled out more than any of my other 2 player games, about once or twice a month with my brother-in-law, and I win 75% of the time, which is nice. But I like trying different strategies of, do you buy and play just any base, do you buy all you can of 1-2 factions, or buy a little of all 4, do you take out the base even thought it isn't an outpost, should I buy a card that may slow down my deck or waste my money. So many questions and fun strategies.

Shannon: Lost Cities: This one is one of my most played two player games. I love it, and my kids do as well. A great little card game.

2.

Amber: Jaipur: I really like the art and theme of getting jewels and material. This is another game I like the simplicity of it for taking out and about. I like the hard decisions of do you take the camels or not, do you turn in 2 cards, or do you hold off for 3, 4, or 5 so you get a bonus, and should I block you by turning in 1 card to get the highest value before my opponent turns in.

Shannon: Patchwork: I love using the tetris style pieces to build my quilt. It has enough strategy to make you think, yet it's also a simple game to play.

1.

Amber: Lost Cities: I love the ease of the game. How I can play it against a 6 year old or a 30+ year old, or anywhere in between and the strategy doesn't change much. I like the simplicity of it just being cards and a board so we can take it to a coffee shop or on a trip or wherever, and it doesn't take up much room. I also like that it works with kids on the math of counting, adding, subtracting, and multiplication. Lastly, I like that even if you have one bad round of how cards come out, you don't feel like you are on an up hill battle, but that you could make a come back.

Shannon: Dragonheart: This hand management game is my favorite two player game. I adore the dragon/fantasy theme and it's a lot of fun to play.